Program and Services 

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to providing special education students with opportunities along a continuum of services that offer access to and participation in the activities of the school and community environments as appropriate to the age and educational needs of the student. 

In FCPS, services to students with disabilities are planned with long term outcomes in mind. Annual goals and objectives consider development in the areas of cognitive/academic, communication, personal, interpersonal and career skills. Teachers are committed to their role in planning with a student and family, through these annual goals and objectives, for the student’s postsecondary education, employment and residential independence. 

Fairfax County Public Schools upholds the principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as they support the rights of students with disabilities to have decisions regarding their individual instructional program made through the collaboration of parents who know their child best and professional educators who have knowledge of instructional practices and experience in guiding students with disabilities to become productive citizens. 

Fairfax County Public Schools protects the rights of students with disabilities to be educated by teachers trained to instruct through adapted curriculum, to utilize a variety of instructional strategies and to take advantage of supplementary materials appropriate for the student’s individual educational program (IEP). 

• Across the continuum of special education services, Fairfax County Public Schools serves students with one or more the following identified disabilities: 

• Autism Intellectual disability 

• Deafness  Multiple disabilities 

• Deaf/blindness  Orthopedic impairment 

• Developmental delays  Other health impairment 

• Emotional disability  Specific learning disability 

• Hearing impairment  Speech and language impairment 

• Visual impairment  Traumatic brain injury 

Related services are available to address a student’s therapeutic or instructional needs based on their individualized special education program.

Program Overview: The PreK-12 Office of Special Education Instruction strategically supports the implementation of evidence-based practices to increase academic achievement and the social and emotional competence of students based on individual needs. 

In collaboration with the Instructional Services Department, the PreK-12 Office of Special Education Instruction for students with high-incidence disabilities provides support to schools through: 

• Training and support for schools implementing Responsive Instruction, a tiered system of support for students 

• Professional development in the areas of behavioral interventions, core instruction (literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies), collaborative teaching, differentiated instruction, use of formal and informal assessments, research based instructional strategies for teaching content, and the Mandt System of crisis intervention 

• Research-based materials to match curriculum and instructional needs 

• Consultations with school staff to provide school-based professional development in areas related to Instruction and behavior intervention 

• School consultations with administrators to address program development and staffing 

• Curriculum development in the areas of support for students with disabilities 

• Behavioral support and planning 

• Mentor coaches for new special education teachers 

• ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) 

In addition, special education staff members attend school-based, cluster, division-wide professional development opportunities offered by the Instructional Services Department related to the general education curriculum and resources. 

In collaboration with the Parent Resource Center (PRC), support for parents is provided through parent workshops and trainings. More information can be found at the following link: http//www.fcps.edu/cco/prc/ 

Instructional Program 

The PreK-12 curriculum for FCPS is guided by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and the FCPS Program of Studies (POS) which includes objectives that have been identified for each grade level and curriculum area. This curriculum is a tool for planning, monitoring, and evaluating students’ work and progress on a continuous basis. Specialized instructional programs for reading, writing, and mathematics, are evidence-based, providing students with targeted, systematic, and explicit instruction on a consistent basis as determined by the IEP team. These programs are used to supplement the general education instructional program and provide students with differentiated approaches to access the curriculum. 

Teachers provide special education services across a continuum of delivery options, ranging from the least to most restrictive learning environments in the following areas: 

• Consultation with general education teachers/employers to include co-teaching with the general education teacher 

• Individual and small group support within the general education classroom 

• Individual and small-group pull-out services outside of the general education classroom

• Small-group self-contained classes within a general education school 

• Special education schools co-located within general education sites 

• Separate special education schools

When appropriate, students may also receive services in private day and residential schools, in the home, and in the hospital settings. Related therapy services are available to support students in accessing the academic environment (Related Services). 

Staffing 

The following staff members may provide instruction and support for students with disabilities in high-incidence programs: 

General education teachers 

• Implement instructional modifications or accommodations required by a student’s individualized education program 

• Monitor student progress 

• Special education teachers 

• Plan and implement the instructional program, often in collaboration with general education teachers monitor student progress 

• Direct the activities of instructional assistants 

• Instructional assistants 

• Perform teaching-related activities and non-teaching assignments at the direction of the special education teacher 

• Social workers and psychologists 

• Provide counseling services 

• Assist in gathering outside resources 

• Provide crisis intervention 

• Special education elective teachers 

• Teach elective courses with a smaller student-teacher ratio 

• Related service providers 

• Provide services to students as determined by the IEP team 

• Central office specialists and curriculum resource teachers 

• Provide support for school staff to improve student achievement 

• Coordinate curriculum development 

• Plan and conduct professional development on topics across the curriculum 

• Prepare and monitor budget spending 

• Ensure that the philosophy and design of services reflect the current and relevant research in the field 

• Other staff members (not necessarily school based) 

• Behavior intervention teachers 

• Procedural support liaisons 

• Assistive technology teachers

Interpretation of Special Needs Policy at Poe and Holmes Middle Schools

The Middle Years Programme is a whole school programme encompassing grades 6 through 8 at Poe and Holmes Middle Schools. The MYP at Poe and Holmes Middle Schools is open access. All teachers are sensitive to special needs and work closely with students who have IEPs (Individualized Learning Plans) and 504 plans who need accommodations. Many students with learning disabilities and other health impairments, in addition to students who are building English language acquisition, successfully complete the MYP. While the curriculum is not modified, teachers work creatively with these students to encourage their success. Accommodations may include the use of a computer, extra time for tasks, and extra help outside of class time. 

Implementation of the Inclusion Policy at Poe and Holmes Middle Schools 

Poe and Holmes Middle Schools are committed to providing a high quality education for all students with special needs. We follow the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and all other federal and state regulations, when determining the educational needs of each student in our program. 

The Special Education Departments at Poe and Holmes employ assistant principals, department chairs, physical health assistants (PHA), teachers, and instructional assistants. We provide services for students as required by a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in compliance with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s regulations. 

The special education assistant principals and department chairs work together to oversee the department, and ensure that all laws are followed and all provisions in a student’s IEP are being met. They communicate with parents, students and teachers to make sure everyone is collaborating to meet the student’s needs. They also handle difficult students and situations, when they arise, and support staff as they navigate the many intricate aspects of working with students with special needs. 

The instructional assistants either support students in a small group or in a large group classroom setting depending on the needs of the student. Instructional assistants work with teachers to meet all students’ needs and provide more individualized and small group attention for students with demanding needs in the classroom. 

Poe and Holmes have a robust Special Education Department who strives to serve the needs of diverse learners, according to their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). As part of the FCPS community, our Special Education colleagues work in the following capacities:

• Teach in small group classrooms of students with Special Education needs; in this setting, the Special Education teacher covers the designated curriculum and coaches students through the state Standards of Learning as needed, depending on the course taught. 

• Teach in co-taught classrooms of students with mixed abilities; in this setting, the Special Education teacher teaches with the General Education teacher and is there to support our students with special needs. 

• Teach in “Strategies for Success” classrooms where fundamental study habits and executive functioning skills are taught and monitored with a focus on social interaction, self-advocacy, and disability awareness. 

• Teach additional Special Education electives such as Personal Development and Developmental Reading. Developmental Reading focuses on remediating and providing direct instruction on foundational reading skills, decoding and phonetic awareness skills. Personal Development provides students with the opportunity to learn about and improve social skills. 

• Teach life skills, career preparation, WAT (a type of internship/work study program in conjunction with our school), and core academics for our students accessing the aligned standards of learning, Category B program. 

• In all special education courses, some of the many practices that teachers engage in to meet students’ wide range of educational needs include, but are not limited to: 

• Modifying or accommodating instruction and assessments 

• Adapting lesson plans 

• Providing accommodations 

• Scaffolding assignments 

• Spiraled instruction 

• Clarifying and simplifying directions 

• Modifying rubric expectations 

• Teaching students appropriate emotional responses 

• Providing students with authentic situations to practice life skills 

In addition to teaching responsibilities, Special Education teachers are also “Case Managers” who keep track of a designated number of students through their IEPs. Case Managers are responsible for overseeing the IEP process for his/her caseload by organizing the IEP team, setting up meetings, making sure a student’s current IEP is meeting his/her specific needs, and ensuring that the IEP is followed in all classes. They monitor student progress, which involves meeting with students periodically, both informally to check on progress, and formally to review and evaluate the IEP. Case Managers have close relationships and are in constant communication with our related service providers. Together they coordinate data collection and formal evaluations of students’ progress toward the goals stated in the IEPs. 

Each student has an IEP team that meets annually to make decisions regarding the student’s areas of need and delivery of special education services. The IEP team may include parents, the student, special education teachers, general education teachers, an administrator, and any related services providers that work with the students. The IEP team determines the least restrictive environment for each student’s learning, based on his/her individual needs - these may include general education classes, general education or honors classes with special education support, or special education classes.

All students at Poe and Holmes, including students with special educational needs, participate in the required Virginia State Assessments. The state offers that standard assessment, as well as modified versions to allow all students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills; it is the duty of the IEP teams to make decisions regarding which assessment option is most appropriate for each student. 

Each year, a committee of special education and instructional leaders at Poe and Holmes will review the special educational needs policy to ensure that it remains accurate and up-to-date, in accordance with IB FCPS, state, and federal guidelines. 

Philosophy

We believe that all students can learn, want to learn, and desire competence and excellence in academic pursuits. We recognize that students learn differently, learn at different rates and have strengths and weaknesses in many areas. We strive to support our students’ academic success by instilling self-management and self-discipline in age-appropriate ways. We have a range of services designed to support all students.  To this end, we strive to encourage strong work habits, organizational skills, study skills and critical thinking at every level.

Roles and Responsibilities

The School will:

• Provide guidance and information so that the students with special needs and their parents can make informed decisions about their academic plans.
• Provide updates and re-evaluations concerning student’s academic progress in IEP and 504 plan meetings through the Special Education Department. 
• Facilitate the provisions of appropriate accommodations as specified by a student’s IEP or 504 plan.
• Provide inclusive academic and community opportunities for all students.
• Maintain discretion and confidentiality regarding Special Education services.

Teachers will:

• Give all students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in different ways so that they can achieve their personal best.
• Provide differentiation and accommodations in conjunction with the student’s IEP/504 plan.
• Maintain a classroom atmosphere which affirms identity and builds self-esteem, values prior knowledge, and provides scaffolding and extended learning opportunities for all students.
• Will actively communicate with parents to promote student success.

Parents/Guardians will:

• Request services from the school as they are needed in a proactive manner.
• Provide documentation and information to school personnel for IEP and 504 plans to facilitate intervention strategies and academic success.
• As part of the team,  communicate and support school personnel in assisting with student success

Students will:

• Be proactive in seeking assistance from their teachers to meet their learning needs.
• Learn to advocate for themselves regarding their academic needs and IEP process when appropriate.

Revisions

This policy will be evaluated each year to ascertain its validity based on the changing  needs of the stakeholders and dictates mandated by state, local, and school district governing bodies, and IB requirements.